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Friday, August 15, 2014

Comic Review: The Wicked + The Divine (issue #1, #2) Image Comics

The Wicked + The Divine #1
Story By: Kieron Gillen
Art By: Jamie McKelvie
Colored By: Matt Wilson
Cover By: Jamie McKelvie
Variant Cover By: Bryan Lee O’Malley
Cover Price: $3.50
Digital Price: $1.99
Diamond ID: APR140486
Published: June 18, 2014
Image Comics
Every ninety years, twelve gods incarnate as humans. They are loved. They are hated. In two years, they are dead. The team behind critically thermonuclear floor-fillers Young Avengers and PHONOGRAM reunite to start a new ongoing superhero fantasy with a beautiful oversized issue. Welcome to THE WICKED + THE DIVINE, where gods are the ultimate pop stars. But remember: just because you’re immortal, doesn’t mean you’re going to live forever.

The Wicked + The Divine #2
Story By: Kieron Gillen
Art By: Jamie McKelvie
Art By: Matt Wilson
Cover By: Jamie McKelvie
Cover By: Matt Wilson
Cover Price: $3.50
Digital Price: $2.99
Diamond ID: MAY140745
Published: July 16, 2014
Image Comics
Diabolically divine pop-god Lucifer is in trouble. She offers superfan Laura an unprecedented deal if she helps. It’s a bargain. A Faustian bargain, and they always turn out so well. Who knows who Laura will turn to fulfill it? We do. Clearly. It’s our comic. You can know too if you buy this fine pictorial narrative with your human money coins.

For some reason mixing gods with sex, drugs, and rock & roll gives me a Neil Gaiman vibe. Am I alone on that?

Anyway, within a few pages of reading The Wicked & The Divine, I got a bit of American Gods and Sandman rolling around in my head. That didn't last though, because the story of Kieron Gillen's making and Jamie McKelvie's artistry stood out on its own in due time.

We are introduced to a world where gods are real, at least to most people in the world. They have their fair share of skeptics, as well as detractors out to destroy them. Laura is a believer. A quiet teenager who attends a concert one night, headlined by Hazel, a pop star with a euphoric effect on her fans and one of the twelve gods resurrected every ninety years. Why isn't quite clear yet, but there's still plenty of time to get to that answer, because these two issues spend much of their time raising questions.

issue #3
Laura's introduction into the world of these part-time gods comes in the form of Lucifer no less, an androgynous little bad-ass that looks like Charlize Theron in David Bowie cosplay. Lucy isn't around too long to guide Laura, however, as a terrorist attack provokes the mischievous deity into exploding a couple of heads and getting dragged into court on murder charges. It's when the judge's head explodes though, where things really take a turn and it winds up that Laura must help Lucy find out who among the other gods has set her up and why.

Complementing Kieron Gillen crisp dialogue and storytelling is Jamie McKelvie's electric illustrations. The emotional core of each character radiates off the page. And it's hard not to get sucked into a story that includes a a sleek Satan with a chip on her shoulder. The glint her eye and the awe in Laura's were enough to keep me turning pages.

You might call it American Gods meets Almost Famous. You're probably better off calling it The Wicked and the Divine, because it's plenty of both.


3 comments:

  1. You should try some. There are tons that are urban fantasy stories with artwork! A whole new way to enjoy stories :)

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  2. Definitely has my curiosity peaking, thank you for sharing your thoughts with us. :)

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  3. Thanks for sharing, I'll look it up at the library !

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